This invention relates to a means for protecting splices of electrical cable from corrosion and physical abuse. It is particularly valuable for use with splices in cathodic protection systems for buried steel structures such as pipelines.
Cathodic protection systems are used along buried pipelines and for other structures containing petroleum, natural gas, and numerous other materials. It is difficult to provide dependable protection for sp ices of electrical conduits in such systems. The difficulty arises from the corrosive nature of many underground environments on the cathodic protection system on copper metal splices and also physical abuse encountered when the splices are buried underneath the surface.
The problem of providing such splice protection is known and has been addressed by prior inventors. For example, one product is a splice kit consisting of a two-part (split) mold (which must be fitted carefully around a splice to be protected) and an epoxy resin to be used to fill the mold and to encapsulate the splice with a bridge of insulating material over the splice zone between the insulation on the cables to be spliced. In fact, differently-sized splices require the inconvenience of differently-sized kit products to be supplied to the construction or repair sites. Another problem is the normal use of two-part epoxy systems requiring mixing and pouring at the construction site. After such preparation of such mixes curing is to be assured by maintaining a temperature of, typically 40.degree. F., for a period of time during which the curing takes place and during which stress on the splice may interfere with a continuous seal between cable insulation and the insulating splice structure.
The present inventor directed his efforts towards supplying a more convenient splicing system.